Last Updated on 5/30/2012

Published on 2/8/2012

S.C. Rep. Alan Clemmons told members of the Georgetown Republican Patriots Club that Israel is receiving the wrong message from top leaders in America.
Clemmons,  (R-Myrtle Beach) said he took a recent trip to Israel and also drafted a resolution that showed that South Carolina supports Israel and does not believe that the country was “invaded” by Jewish people.
Clemmons is not running for political office but had considered a run for the newly formed District 7.
He spoke to the Georgetown Patriots Republican Club on his recent actions to get more support for Israel.
This week, there were threats from Iran to attack Israel because of Israel’s stance on Iran’s nuclear program.
News reports said that “Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic of Iran would help anyone who wants to rid the world of the ‘cancer’ of Israel in retaliation for sanctions.”
Clemmons spoke of his time in Israel, visiting with soldiers in the Israeli army and seeing historic and religious sites.
He also wrote a resolution that passed the S.C. General Assembly after hearing President Barack Obama say that “Israelis should abandon the lands of Samaria.”
“Israel is not an occupier of anybody else’s land, they are occupying land that God gave Israel,” Clemmons told the Patriots. “They have the right to decide the destiny of their own country, without the United States telling them what they should do.”
Clemmons showed pictures of the tomb where Jesus was reportedly laid and also visited Masada, a fortress located above the Dead Sea. The fortress is a “symbol of the kingdom of Israel,” according to Internet information about the location.
 “I said Americans stand with you and your right to protect and defend Israel,” Clemmons said. “You might not be hearing that, but Americans stand with you. You always know it as a point of American patriotism to stand at the side of Israel.”
 He received a standing ovation from the Patriots when he said the movement to support Israel was now spreading to other states.
“It’s also being worked in Georgia, and New York, and across this country, but it started here in South Carolina,” Clemmons said.

Local candidates

In other business, the Patriots heard from incumbent candidates Waldo Maring and Kenny Johnson, who are running for probate judge and coroner, respectively.
Maring is running for his ninth term in office and Johnson is seeking his fifth term.
Maring pointed out that probate judges are the only judges elected by the public. Other judges in South Carolina are appointed, he said.
The probate office handles marriage licenses and matters dealing with estates , guardianships and conservatorships.
“You can have one person do both [conservator and guardian], but there is a process for that,” he said.
The probate judge also deals with trust issues and power of attorney, Maring said.
Maring is a native of Andrews, but has lived in Murrells Inlet for 14 years. He is married and has four children and four grandchildren.
Maring also serves as the judge for the Georgetown County drug court.
Maring has run opposed three times. So far, he has no opposition during the upcoming election.
 “Unopposed is so much better and it costs me a lot less,” he joked with the crowd.
Johnson said becoming coroner has been one of the “highlights of his career.”
He stressed that he is a death investigator and that he enjoys his job.
“It’s a challenge,” he said. “It’s intriguing and interesting.”
Johnson started out working with the Georgetown City Police Department. He then worked with the County Sheriff’s Office before becoming coroner.
 “During my tenure, I’ve worked hard to meet the challenges in the forensic science world,” he said.
He said he enjoys interacting with families and feels that he treats them in the way that he would want to be treated.
Johnson also said that the bodies are not moved until he is satisfied that the removal will not compromise a death investigation.
“The biggest challenge is just to make sure we get it right,” he said. “I’m a certified legal death investigator and also a certified forensic consultant and certified investigator. I take my job seriously. What we do impacts real people.”

By Kelly M. Fuller
Kfuller@gtowntimes.com